


Stargazing and Other Short Stories

by invaderb0t (floralb0t)



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: AU, Adult Dib (Invader Zim), Angst Free, College au with aged up characters for day 3, Confessions, Day 2 is also me going Dib is a Slob and that's Valid, Day 3 is zim being Gay, Established Relationship, M/M, Star Gazing, ZaDr, an epilogue of sorts, day 2 is me going Gaz is a Lesbian and thats Valid, established relationship for day 4!, i guess day 4 also counts as like domestic fic? if you squint it's domestic, it's implied that they've been together for years and years (and are like late 20s), set after canon, zadr week 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-01-29 04:07:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21403930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floralb0t/pseuds/invaderb0t
Summary: For ZADR week 2!Day 1 ; Confessions - Dib and Zim both have something planned, a grandiose gesture for what they wanted to say.Day 2 ; AU - Based onParaducksspaces' Silver Linings, set approximately a year after as a sort of epilogueDay 3 ; Intoxicated - Dib gets a new piercing and is loving the energy it's giving him.Day 4 ; Jealousy - Zim gets an unexpected call from Red and Purple and Dib is unhappy with that.Day 5 ; Dumbass in distressDay 6 ; Song lyricsDay 7 ; FamilyWill add the other days as I do them ;)
Relationships: Dib/Zim (Invader Zim), ZaDr - Relationship
Comments: 10
Kudos: 113





	1. Stargazing

Dib leaned down and picked up some junk from off the floor of his dad’s garage. It’d been a few years since he was back here. Growing up had changed a lot of things for him, and fighting with Zim had been one of them. Half of the shit in here was some sort of jerry-rigged weapon made out of things he’d stolen from his friend or his father, depending on what he needed at the time. The other half was just unused “proof” of Zim’s alien existence

It was in here somewhere, he knew it. Where else would he have left it? 

Dib just started tossing shit over his shoulder as he dug through the piles. God, there was so much garbage here, had he really built all of this? It seemed ridiculous that in the seven years he’d officially been friends with Zim, and the four since graduating high school that his father hadn’t tossed any of this out. Today though, that was going to work in his favour.

Dib kept up his search.

Zim was sitting on the roof of his house. It had been just a base once, but in the years since he’d arrived on earth, it had become a home. Though that had to be in part because of the life he’d made here. A few years back, when he finally upgraded the Voot to have more space and built it a garage, he remodelled the roof of the base to be a bit flatter. It made it the perfect spot to stargaze on-planet. 

Zim took his tablet from his PAK and made sure all the preparations were made. The Dib would be coming over soon, and what Zim was finally prepared to say would be a long time coming. He checked and rechecked that everything would be working correctly.

At some point GIR came up from the house, yelling about something and asking if he could order pizza. Zim didn’t care, he was busy, and that was exactly what he had told GIR. The robot scampered off happily. 

From his vantage point on top of the house, Zim waited with as much patience as he could muster for the moth to fall into his trap.

Dib considered dressing up. Would that give away the game too early? Would he stumble on it if he tried to do too much? He was already so anxious about this, Dib decided he wouldn’t make it any more complicated for himself. No no, he pulled on his worn jacket, a cooler one than he had kept as a kid, but in a similar style, and figured that would be good enough. 

On his way out of his apartment, Dib grabbed the box which held the thing he had spent so long searching for and working on. They rarely took the voot out these days, only when some other alien tried to come and stake a claim on earth, but the gift was more about the act of giving than its usefulness. 

He really hoped that Zim would appreciate that. Maybe he’d even be able to find a use for it too. Dib held the small box under one arm as he climbed into his car and then set it gently on the seat beside him. After a moment’s thought, he buckled the box in and then snapped a picture of it to Gaz under the caption “Finally doing it!”

He didn’t bother waiting for a response from her, it was just the act that helped. Dib chuckled to himself as he pulled out from parking and started the drive over. As long as he wasn’t too serious with it, it’d be fine. This was his best friend Dib was confessing to. It’d all turn out okay in the end.

Zim watched as Dib’s car drove up with increasing anticipation. More than once he’d had to stop himself from calling the other, demanding that he hurry up. He’d been planning this night for months. Zim refused to let Dib’s innate tardiness ruin things. Despite that, Zim was well aware that any possible phone call would only delay them further. 

Instead of that, he stood bouncing on his heels on the rooftop, waiting for his old enemy to hurry up and park. Zim waved at Dib as he climbed out of his old car carrying a box. Of course, Zim was curious about it, but he couldn’t let that distract him. He had a plan!

Zim didn’t bother calling out for Dib to just come up and meet him, they had a routine by now. He waited, scurrying around the rooftop while Dib was no doubt tactfully skirting GIR and his pizza mess. Zim adjusted the seating he’d set up, the piles of blankets and pillows, again and again. He made sure his plan was all set up. Zim would admit to pacing the length of the roof while he waited.

Dib climbed through the hatch on the roof without his usual goofy grin on his face. For a moment, Zim wondered if that had anything to do with the small box he was still carrying, but he couldn’t let himself get distracted. Zim reminded himself of the plan.

“Dib,” he started, but had to pause. For some reason, his throat felt like it was chocking up. He cleared it perhaps a little too forcefully. “Dib, come bask in the comfort that Zim has prepared.”

Dib,  _ his _ Dib, chuckled and did as he was told. There was no hesitation in it and it made Zim’s squeedlyspooch feel warm. Warmer at least, anxiety had kept it warm all night. 

“Now, as you can see, I have set up a wonderful display for the Stargazing tonight.”

“Haha, yeah. This place looks great, Zim.” Dib agreed as he carefully sat on the edge of the pile. “But actually, before we get started, I have something for you.”

That wasn’t part of the plan! Zim paused, unsure of what to do. “Eh?” He stood up from the pile and stopped in front of Dib. Like this, Zim was a few inches taller than Dib, and he had to admit he liked it. “Is it this?”

Dib handed over the small cardboard box. For a moment, his fingers brushed against Zim’s and the human’s face exploded in blush. Did he know what Zim planned to do? Ugh, this was taking too long. Zim took the box and shook it slightly. A part of him laughed internally at the look of sudden terror on Dib’s face but he very quickly stopped shaking it nonetheless. “What is in this?”

“J-just something for the Voot. Open it.”

Zim shrugged and ripped it open. 

“Eh?” In his haste, he nearly dropped the thing that had been in there, a small little contraption, but he grabbed it deftly. It looked like it could fit in his hand. One side had a power port and the other had a button. Zim turned it over and over, trying to figure out it’s use. “What is it?”

“Uh, well,” Zim looked back to Dib to see that the blush had only gotten worse. He could almost feel the heat radiating off his friend. More-than-friend. Whatever. “I know you’ve been planning a trip for a while to go get more supplies that you can’t get here. I was -” he stopped again to clear his throat. Dib refused to look Zim in the eyes. “Well, I didn’t want you to forget about home. Or me.” Dib turned even further away and looked as if he wanted the pile of blankets and pillows to swallow him whole. “It’s a m-map of our night sky, to remind you how much I, uh, I love this. And how much I love you.”

Zim didn’t know what to say. He held the small device in his hands. It must be a holographic image, based on what he knew of Dib’s skill set. The last part didn’t register until it had been ringing in his ears for maybe a minute or more. 

And then it was obvious. The delay getting here, the anxious energy, the fact he’d agreed to stargaze without even a second thought. How hadn’t Zim seen this coming?

“Uh, Zim?” Zim was looking through the middle distance and barely even recognized that Dib was waving a hand in front of his face. “Y-you good bud?”

Zim exploded. “YOU RUINED MY PLAN! YOU FOOLISH, ANNOYING, IMPATIENT DIB-THING!” Zim jumped back from Dib and took to pacing, angrily in front of him. “I HAD A WHOLE PLAN! A PLAN, YOU HEAR ME?” He shouted into the void. “ZIM WAS GOING TO -” his fingers moved unconsciously, hitting the button in his tablet -” TURN OUT THE LIGHTS IN THE CITY. AND THEN -” his hand betrayed him and hit the next button as well -” ZIM WOULD BRING UP DRONES IN THE SHAPES OF YOUR STINKY EARTHEN LETTERS. AND IT WOULD READ THE CONFESSION YOU STOLE FROM ME YOU DUMB DIB!”

Dib, for his part, looked equal parts in awe and embarrassed as he watched Zim pace in front of him. And then he noticed what Zim had set off behind him.

Spelt out in false stars were the words “Dib, Come With?”

Obviously, being grammatically correct wasn’t as important as the message. And the message wasn’t as important as what it implied. What Dib had stolen from him. 

Zim kept his pacing until Dib got up and walked over to him. When his Dib grabbed his wrists, Zim barely kept himself from smashing his fists against the human’s wrists. And then the Dib leaned down, holding Zim in place with a kiss instead of his hands. 

For a moment, Zim hesitated, and then he kissed back. He pushed himself against the soft flesh of Dib’s lips, he basked in the warmth that was still coming off Dib’s face, he moved gently to better fit against this human who seemed to have conquered his heart. 

And then Zim pulled back.

“Zim won’t forgive you for stealing his thunder you know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't edited this <3


	2. I try to keep on keeping on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My take on an epilogue to Paraducksspace's Silver Lining fic! It's a !trans, !werewolf Dib with !human Zim fic and it's so adorable. If you haven't read it before, please go check it out!!! This might not make a lot of sense otherwise   
[Here's the link!!!!!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20838920/chapters/49538894)

Zim pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened up his texts. It had been a bit of a long night, Dib was always so anxious it kept Zim up. He felt like he was a little too tired to go home before his plans this afternoon, he just needed to make sure things were okay at home.

Zim→Gir

[8:12 AM]: Hey you good lil man? I’ll be home to grab some shit later but I think I’m gonna go back to bed

He made sure his ringer was on and then set it on the bedside table. Dib’s room was usually full to the brim with just random junk, but since Zim had started staying over more often, there was at least enough space for him to put down his things. He didn’t even need to clean off any water bottles to make room this time. 

Taking advantage of the bed containing just him, Zim stretched out. He could feel his limbs sinking into the plush mattress and just sighed deeply. This was the good stuff, the bed smelled so strongly of Dib and his brain was letting the energy seep out of it. Things were good and they had gotten through another full moon without any issues. The twelfth one, since the beginning. And once Zim had had a nap, he’d be giving Dib their one year anniversary present. 

Zim’s phone went off, a small beep dragging him back from the depths of sleep. 

Gir→Zim

[8:17 AM]: im good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zim smiled at the texts. Bless his little brother.

[Gir]: have a good sleepover d8!!

[Gir]: bring me back a leaf

[Gir]: 😽😽

[Zim]: Whatever you say bud

He just chuckled. Gir will have probably forgotten by the time he’d get home tomorrow, but it was cute that he asked anyways. As Zim went to set the phone back down, he tried to guess how long it had been since Dib left for his shower. Long enough that his boy would be back soon, he figured. 

Maybe he should stop being all starfished out, Zim thought. He really did consider that. But then he decided that if Dib was going to keep him up all night being a fucking werewolf, a fact he wasn’t quite over yet, then Dib could deal with Zim having taken over his bed. He didn’t bother trying to listen for the sound of water from the washroom, he just spread out a little further. 

The blankets were warm, and the bed was the perfect level of squishy, and eventually, his Dib would be back to cuddle while he napped. Zim curled up and basked in the comfort of the moment. 

Dib came back from his shower expecting the exact sight he saw. Zim was totally passed out with all of the blankets piled on top of him. How he never started overheating, Dib would never understand. He smiled happily at his boyfriend and turned away to change into some clothes for the day. Once that was handled, he sat at his desk and just watched Zim for a little while. He’d have climbed on the bed too but Zim was asleep in the center of it, the bug. 

Honestly, the last year had been such a wild ride. How does one cope with finding out that once a month they turn into a big scary wolf? Dib wasn’t sure, but he had to admit that he liked how Zim was handling it. Knowing that whatever weird complication was going to come up would, but Zim would be willing to just power through anyway? Dib loved that, the unwavering loyalty. 

He smiled, remembering all the shit he’d but Zim through but that his partner had taken in stride. There was the first change, which had been so unexpected that Zim had to carry him home in his underwear. The next had been easier, but that didn’t change the fact that Dib had climbed out of the window anyways and Zim had spent half the night chasing him around the forest, apparently. The fourth had been another bad one, they had just had a blizzard and Dib had left the house anyway, leaving Zim to try to cover for him to his Dad and Gaz. And then he came back before changing back and spend the next week sick in bed. Thankfully they had all been easy, relatively at least, since. It didn’t change how grateful Dib was to Zim anyways.

There was a slight movement from Zim and then he started snoring, just heavy enough for Dib to hear it, and it was god damned adorable. There was no way he’d ever tell Zim that. He’d be dead where he stood, Zim was still so embarrassed by intimacy like that. Dib stayed as quiet as possible to ensure he could listen to it for as long as possible.

Eventually the sound of Zim being asleep was beginning to make his own eyes drift. He pushed himself up from his desk just a little too sharply, banging his knee against the heavy wood. “Ow, fuck,” he muttered to himself before he realized what he did. 

Zim moved again, curling in on himself a little tighter. The new position kept Dib from hearing whether Zim was still asleep or not. He stayed as still as possible, not even breathing, praying that he hadn’t just interrupted his boyfriend’s much needed rest. After what must have been only a handful of seconds but felt much longer, Zim uncurled slightly and went back to snoring. Dib sighed to himself. That was too close. He took one more look at the comfortable pile of blankets that held his boyfriend and left his room.

Gaz was sitting at the kitchen table when he got downstairs, playing some game on her switch. “Dealing with running wild, wolf-boy, or did you just keep Zim up all night for some  _ other _ reason?”

He smacked the back of her head as he passed her on his way to the fridge. “You’re just mad that you’re not getting any, brat.”

Dib didn’t need to turn and look at his sister to know she was bright red. “We’re taking it slow. Tak and Tenn are both worth doing this the right way, not that you’d understand Mr ‘I’m-going-to-turn-into-a-wolf-naked-and-have-some-boy-carry-me-home-after-our-second-date’.” 

Dib finished digging some leftovers out from the bottom shelf and smacked her again as he went to grab a fork. “Call him ‘some boy’ where he can hear you and Zim’ll kick your ass in smash again.” 

Gaz paused her game to look Dib in the eyes. “I still don’t know how he fucking managed that. I’ve competed professionally!! How did he fucking beat me?”

“You know Gaz,” Dib paused to shove some food into his mouth. “You’ll just have to admit button mashing works.”

She just grumbled in response and went back to her game, muttering and glaring at him every now and then. It sounded like she was complaining about he mains the piranha plant, but Dib didn’t care enough to listen closely. Dib snickered each time they made eye contact until he had finished his food. After that, he went to the garage and grabbed the cooler he had dug out yesterday. Zim had refused to tell them what they were doing this afternoon except that it’d be overnight, they’d need a tent and a cooler of some food.

It doesn’t take a fool to guess that it’d be camping of some sort, but Dib wasn’t going to burst Zim’s bubble on that. He decided he’d get everything ready for when they left later. 

Dib had nearly finished when Zim stumbled his way down the stairs just before noon. He was obviously groggy, so Dib made him a coffee piled high with sugar and creamer and set it beside his boyfriend with a kiss. Gaz gagged but they both ignored her. After a year, it was tradition, all of them playing these roles. 

“So what time are you leaving?” Gaz asked once Zim looked appropriately caffeinated.

Zim shrugged. “Whenever this one is ready,” he nodded at Dib. “I need to check in on Gir before we leave town, but thats it.”

“I’m almost done packing all this up,” Dib clarified from across the kitchen. “Just need to put some ice in and then grab our backpacks from upstairs. Why, did you need something Gaz?”

“No I just want you losers to leave so I can get my girls over.”

“Eh? Girls night?” Zim sounded curious, but Dib tuned them both out while he finished. The ice was cold on his hands and the bag he was pouring from was unwieldy but he didn’t let that slow him down. 

Within ten minutes everything they needed was piled into Zim’s shitty truck and they were just about to leave. They made a quick pit stop at Zim’s place, just to make sure his older brothers weren’t harassing Gir and the little pipsqueak would be okay without Zim for another night. After that though, they were out on the open road and Zim was telling him when and where to turn. It felt weird driving Zim’s vehicle instead of his own, but in order to keep their destination a secret, it was either this, or take his car that barely handled in the rain off road. Zim’s truck may have looked older than sin, but at least it could handle potholes.

When they finally reached their destination, Zim made short work of setting up their tent. It was an old one that had belonged to Red and Pur, that Zim swore they wouldn’t notice was gone for the night, but it had plenty of space and was in really good condition. In the meanwhile, Dib had wandered the perimeter of the space. It looked like it was just a clearing on the edge of some farmer’s land and some forested space. Which probably meant it was illegal to be spending the night here. 

Dib shook his head and sighed, but he couldn’t get the smile off his face. He liked being out in the woods with Zim, because of how much history it represented for the two of them. He would still tease his partner if he could though. No excuse for some friendly ribbing left unused. 

“Hey, Zim.” Dib called as he made it back to the campsite proper. “So exactly what level of illegality - huh?”

Zim was setting something up inside the tent but came bounding out as soon as he saw Dib. In his hands was a pair of flashlights, a map, and on his face was a huge grin. “Happy one year, stinky-dib. Let’s go hunt down that Bigfoot you’re always going on about.”

Dib felt like he could cry. “I thought you hated when I talked about Bigfoot!”

“Well, if you’re real, which you annoyingly are,” Zim paused to pull Dib into a gentle kiss, “Then maybe it is real. Let’s go find out.”

Dib picked up Zim and swung him slightly, grinning and placing kisses on his face the whole while. “Let’s go find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original Fic uses lines from the song Show me my silver lining by first aid kit for the three chapter titles so I did the same!  
I hope you liked both the original work and this little drabble continuation! It was so much fun to do, working in the constraints of another person's au. Seriously go check out Paraducksspace if you haven't before. All of their works are amazing and I love them so much!!


	3. New Metal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 is intoxication but since I don't drink or do any sort of drugs... well, this is what you get!   
Dib gets a new piercing and really enjoys the energy it gives off.

“And you’re not drunk.”

“Not in the slightest.”

“And you didn’t just fail some class.”

“Nope.”

“You really just went and d- stop touching them!” Gaz slapped Dib’s hand away from his face. “Seriously, you’re a fucking toddler. Dad’s going to kill you, you know.”

“Dad doesn’t see me enough to notice, Gaz.” Dib slowly snuck a hand back up before Gaz slapped it away again. “Besides, I can do whatever I want. My body, my rules.”

“And so you just went and got fucking snake bites?! For no reason?” Gaz slapped the back of his head. “You dumbass!”

Dib grinned, though it broke only a second later when he felt one of the backing pieces catch on a tooth. He felt like it was obvious, why he did it. “Uh, yeah! I feel like a brand new man. I’m so high off this energy, Gaz, you’ve got no idea.”

She just sighed and walked away, leaving Dib to admire himself some more in the bathroom mirror. 

Dib had to admit that maybe it was an impulse purchase. Maybe it hadn't been the smartest thing, to go blow his gas money on sticking some metal into his face. But did Dib care; especially now as the fruit of that labour glinted brightly in the incandescent lighting of his washroom? Not in the fucking slightest. 

Dib felt  _ hot _ . He felt drunk off this power. He was going to use this for evil. 

There was a truce going on right now, but that didn’t mean that Dib couldn’t get the upper hand. Zim had been around for almost a decade. Dib had been obsessing over Zim since the beginning, he knew that Zim had always gotten a little more  _ interested _ whenever he had gotten a piercing in the past. 

Their truce had just started, but Dib would work them up to exactly what he wanted eventually. These new piercings, Dib absently ran his fingers over one of them again, these piercings had him drunk with power. 

Zim was sitting in the lecture hall, waiting for Dib to show up. Normally he’d wait to enter until the Dib did first, just to make sure there were no attacks planned, but the class had started ten minutes ago and the stinky human  _ still _ hadn't shown. Well, that and it would be a show of good faith. For the truce that they had come to only a week before. Seriously, where was that boy?

Zim pulled out his earth phone, a thing he’d picked up on one of his many trips into the nearby city center because people looked at him weird when he said he  _ didn’t _ have one, and that was a bad sign. It was a little strange to fit into his hands, obviously proportioned for someone with more fingers to hold it steady, but he had gotten fairly good with it. In any case, Zim was about to text Dib when the man himself finally appeared and slid into the seat beside him. 

“And where were you?” He asked, quietly but with plenty of venom. 

The Dib just grinned cocksure in response, setting Zim off in more ways than once. “Does it matter? Zim, we’ve been out of high school for like two years now. Nobody gives a shit if I skip a day.”

Zim bristled slightly. They came to this truce with personal reasons for it, and Zim was surely curious as to what brought Dib to the table, but Zim agreed because he cared about the garbage-worm even when he didn’t want to. Dib didn’t know that and Zim would have killed him on the spot for finding out, but that didn’t mean he was okay with his … friend stepping on his feelings. He turned to his equal, ready to glare and bicker, but a glint in the light stopped him.

The Dib had more metal in his face than normal. He’d slowly been accumulating them over the years, and Zim had never understood it, but these were different. “What’s with the, uh, um.” he faltered, unsure of their title, so he just pointed at his mouth. “The new metal.”

“They’re piercings.” Dib shrugged, but Zim thought he caught sight of a flash of a smile. 

Zim tried very, very hard not to smack his partner and failed miserably. “I know  _ that _ , asshole. Zim is not participating in his first rodeo.”

Dib sighed but there was another flash of a smile that Zim almost didn’t catch. It made his insides warm in a way he already knew he hated. Had hated for a long while now. But, at the same time, accepted. 

“They’re just lip piercings but colloquially, they’re either “snake bites” or “fangs”. I guess other people could call ‘em other shit too, but those are the only two names that I've heard.” Dib tried to look nonchalant. He tried. 

Zim knew him too well, the Dib was damn near glowing with pride at these “snake bites”. He could get why. The allure… Zim forced himself to look straight ahead. What the hell was the professor even going on about? What class was this? 

All of a sudden all Zim could think about was having Dib pin him against a wall. 

“I’ll be right back.” He took a moment to catch his breath before standing up and quickly making his way out of the lecture hall, out of the building, out onto the quad. And then he put his face in his hands and just yelled.

Back in the classroom, Dib looked over at the empty seat beside him and smirked. Yeah, he was a little bit drunk with power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a day late and this hasn't been edited or proofed but!! i got snake bites myself yesterday and i feel like _the_ bitch. so i can say for certain, it's Intoxicating. Anyways i hope you're able to enjoy this very short little thing <3


	4. Unexpected Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A cozy afternoon gets interrupted and Dib has to deal with being Jealous that the Tallests still are a part of Zim's life.

Dib was asleep on the couch in Zim’s base and the aforementioned alien was sitting on his lap when the TV’s screen began to flash and beep. For a moment, Zim almost didn’t recognize what that sound meant. 

“Incoming Transmission from the Massive” The computer intoned. 

Zim’s spooch dropped as Dib’s body beneath him shook slightly, his breathing hitching. This wasn't good. An unexpected call? He had at least another two months before the next probing day. 

“So am I accepting the call?” The computer asked, impatient. 

Zim scampered off of Dib’s lap, marvelling in a far off portion of his mind that the stinky human was still asleep. “Hold on, hold on!” His eyes bounced around the room, there were touches of the human’s influence everywhere. And then there was the human himself, still asleep on the couch. How did Dib sleep so heavily? Zim quickly pushed a hand underneath his sleeping partner and picked him up. Instead of moving away from the couch though, Zim did the only thing he could think. He tossed Dib up and over it, hearing him land with a loud, dull thump. “Eh, eh, okay. Open transmission!”

There was a low moan from behind the couch and Zim did his absolute best to ignore it. He quickly stood at attention, only lightly kicking the base of the couch behind him hoping that Dib would get the message and shut up. Very quickly, the large TV was overtaken with the camera feed from the Massive. 

_ “Zim!” _ Tallest Red started, speaking around hunks of donut.  _ “Status report!” _

Tallest Purple leaned into frame, claws deep in a bag of Chisps.  _ “Yeah! What have you been up to?” _

What Zim had been up to was very very inappropriate for the Tallest to hear. They didn’t need to know that he had a sex life or a social life. What else had he been doing? Zim baulked. The only things he’d been doing lately that would be of any interest would be his attempts to merge human and Irken technology. 

“Eh, uh, I’ve been working on adapting the local uh, munitions to work with Irken weapons.” Another low moan came from behind the couch and Zim tried to kick it again as subtly as possible.

Dib felt the dusty fabric holding him captive get kicked again and that gave him pause. Surely twice was intentional. He tried to adjust to a sitting position as quietly as possible and massaged his aching head. How had he even gotten behind the couch anyways? Normally there wasn’t enough space for GIR to go crawling around back here, let alone a full ass man like himself. 

Now sitting up slightly, Dib tried to listen in for what was happening in the rest of Zim’s house. Obviously he’d been dropped back here for a reason and he’d hate to give everything away because he wasn’t thinking. That said, however, he did feel like just fucking tossing him while still asleep wasn’t the kindest option. Couldn’t he have been deposited into the kitchen or something? 

The answer came quickly enough though, as Dib heard his boyfriend being harrassed by the Irken Tallests. He leaned his head against the wall beside him and sighed as quietly as possible. That explained it then. Zim had been here for well over a decade and a half now. Everyone involved knew that Zim’s mission was fake, that this was just glorified exile, but still, they all kept up the charade. 

Dib  _ really _ hated that the Tallests still called as if they had a place in Zim’s life any more. 

He sighed again and tried to shift to get more comfortable. Dib got the feeling he was going to be stuck back here for a while. 

Couldn’t the Tallests just let Zim go? It was unfair, continuing to call like this. Unless they were going to take the initiative and either cut the shorter alien off or welcome him back, Dib knew his boyfriend would continue to answer the calls and pretend to the best of his ability. Zim cared too much about his image, the salvaging of his history with Red and Purple to be the one to stop answering, despite the fact he had stopped trying to “invade” years ago.

Dib had resigned himself to having to overhear Zim playing out his part as the suck up to Red and Purple when he noticed a shape blocking the light above him. Quickly he looked up only to see GIR staring down at him. Dib immediately brought a hand up to his lips and prayed the little fool would get the picture. 

GIR nodded enthusiastically, looked back over his shoulder, and climbed down to sit on Dib’s lap. The already tight space between the wall and the couch seemed to get that much smaller. GIR’s eyes shrunk as the robot grinned happily, probably glad for the attention. Dib held him tightly, hoping that the “hug” would keep him from making some sort of noise that would get Zim in trouble.

Just because they were going through the hoops now, only following routine, didn’t mean that he wanted to make this any harder than it needed to be. 

After a few minutes of forced cuddling, GIR grew restless enough that he managed to escape Dib’s grasp and climbed back out onto the couch. He heard as the Tallests exclaimed, commenting on the return of the robot and Dib threw his head against the back of the couch in frustration.

The dull thump of it rung out in the living room and Dib held his breath to see if anyone would comment on it. 

_ “What was that?” _

_ “Yeah Zim, did you get another robot or something?” _

He had to bite his tongue to keep from groaning. Just his fucking luck huh. Hopefully, Zim would be able to handle it. 

“Uhh, no. No other robots.” 

“It was MARY! He’s sleepin!” Dib bit his tongue again. Did GIR know what he was doing? He wanted to shake the little disaster bot.

_ “Who is Mary?” _

“One of - GIR, go play outside or something.” Dib silently cheered at Zim’s good decision to try and kick the robot out. “Go bark at the neighbours - It’s GIR’s name for one of my creations.”

He smiled slightly as he heard GIR toddle in the direction of the front door. It opened and closed with a slam and that meant that as long as they

_ “But it’s not a robot?” _

“Uh, no. It’s just a gun? Yeah it’s just a gun. Must have fallen off the table or something. That’s all!”

_ “Alright well. That’s everything.” _

_ “It’s snack time and you’re boring.” _

_ “This was a waste of time. I told you he wouldn't have anything fun to share. Bye Zim!” _

_ “It's not my fault you listened to me, idiot. Bye Zim.” _

Dib laid back down on the ground and let himself groan as soon as he heard the transmission cut. He heard Zim sigh just as heavily before the couch was pulled forward and then the green and pink form of his boyfriend was looming over him. Dib threw up a hand to block some of the light from his eyes. 

Zim sighed again and then bent down to pull Dib up. “That was unexpected.”

“Agreed.” Dib let himself be pulled in a sitting position, grimacing when the movement jostled his head too much. “Maybe next time, just move me to the kitchen, huh bud?”

Looking down at him, Zim frowned. “You sound upset.”

“Just -” Dib paused, unsure if now was the time and place. He let Zim finish helping him back to a standing position. “I don’t like sharing your attention is all.”

Zim squinted at him, magenta eyes flicking over him as if they were trying to see into the reaches of his mind. “You don’t.”

A part of Dib sighed, resigned to put up with the Tallests having some sort of hold over his partner for a while longer. The rest of Dib though leaned down to steal a lingering kiss from Zim. He pulled his boyfriend closer, breaking the kiss for just long enough to grab a deep breath. Dib’s hands wormed their way onto Zim’s waist and he held him close as his mouth nipped at Zim’s bottom lip. 

“Needy, needy.” Zim murmured before capturing Dib’s lip between his teeth. Dib smiled, pleased, and dove into this distraction with gusto. 

That small part of Dib wouldn’t shut up still, but this was enough for now. His jealousy was satiated by the alien holding him steady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok i know im behind i know, but like, ; ) . this was worth it right? The kiss? thats literally the spiciest thing I've ever written skjhfshjkf 
> 
> Anyways, I do intend to catch up! might take me the better part of this week to do it, but I'm gonna do it. See you with the next one, or on a different fic! Kiss!


End file.
